Is it illegal to draw pictures of art?

While at the Macclesfield Heritage Centre to see The Button Project, I was told by one lady that I had to write all the names of everybody whose work I drew pictures of underneath each drawing and I was told by another lady that I wasn't even allowed to draw any pictures at all which is something I haven't come across before.

had to rush the bottom right drawing due to circumstances

When I asked why, she mumbled something about copyright and then another lady who was stood next to me started telling the other lady off for being ridiculous. I came away from the experience feeling rather confused and it left a sour taste in my mouth.

Is it illegal to draw pictures of art? 

The sad thing is that all I wanted to do was write more about the exhibition, and publicise it amongst my peers because the artwork was beautiful and looked like a collection of modern-day treasure. I'm hardly raking in profit (none what-so-ever) and it's for an educational purpose.

The experience was definitely not what I wanted to take away from the exhibit.

Links

This week, our links are going to be nice and largely craft-themed, in contrast to last weeks geekier font post.

First off:

http://www.unittwelve.co.uk/

Kaboom, new Unit 12 website! Unit Twelve is like a big iron storage barn thing on a farm that is filled with beautiful things, should you ever be lucky enough to be in the area. It houses several busy artists (well they don't live there or anything, just work there) who sometimes run workshops where you get a chance to drink many hot beverages and enjoy being arty for a day.

http://www.emilynotman.co.uk/index.htm

Emily Notman being one of the artists at Unit 12 that I did a textiles workshop with in January. Her work is always super intricate and gorgeous and she was super nice and funny.

http://www.annacollettehunt.com/

I regret using the word beautiful in practically the first paragraph of this post, because I'm running out of imaginative words to descibe how nice I think the work I'm linking to is. All the colours and the details. Anna Collette Hunt is primarily a ceramicist, I urge people to admire her work.

http://charlottemacey.co.uk/home.html

Really cute fabric patterns made into all kinds of useful products.

(Button designed by Jenny Brindley)

http://victoriascholes.blogspot.co.uk/

There's going to be a button exhibition in Macclesfield (Barnaby Festival 14th-30th June!). I am too excited about this. Victoria Scholes is helping to organise this (might be the main organiser) and has some gorgeous photos of some of the submissions so far. I need to convince somebody else that it's going to be the best thing evar so that I can hitch a lift. Really don't want to miss it.